Looks like I am going to guide dog school in November. Looking forward to it, although, I must admit that I am a little nervous about it still. It's funny, I always thought a new baby would be the biggest respoinsibility one could ever face... I think a guide dog may be right up there though.

Let me tell you guys I am looking forward to spending a month in California! Not to mention being able to play with all of the guide dog puppies! Ooohhh yeah, then there's the meeting with my new guide dog! I have to admit also that I have considered how a guide dog could be used as a way to sell more phones at my new part time job at Cingular. Guide dogs are chick magnets I tell ya!

Anywhoo, my meds are screwing with me and i'm fairly chatty so I will shut up now, and give you guys a break.

Hey DZ, are all of the guide dogs there labs? My wife would think she's died and gone to heaven if we ever got one around here, she misses her childhood one terribly. And that's awesome that you get to go have fun in Cali, that's so exciting you are getting a new guide dog!

Good to see you, deadzone. Good luck with school -- maybe they can teach you a few new tricks as well.

And yes, you should never pet a guide dog while it is working. If you think it might possibly be an appropriate time, then ask the owner first. (Though I've never even asked unless it was someone I knew, so maybe that is also not a good idea unless you already know the owner.)

And yes, you should never pet a guide dog while it is working. If you think it might possibly be an appropriate time, then ask the owner first. (Though I've never even asked unless it was someone I knew, so maybe that is also not a good idea unless you already know the owner.)

Being an animal lover, it's my natural response to want to pet a dog, cat, Iguana, whatever. It was years ago, and I was clueless on the subject at the time. I petted the dog, and the guy got pretty snippy about it. I've since read up on it, and found out why.

I just found this on Google:

Quote

How should I behave around a Guide Dog?It takes a lot of concentration for a Guide Dog to work safely with its user. To help this team focus on their important work, please follow these tips.

* The Guide Dog must not be the centre of attention - please don't pat, feed or otherwise distract the dog when it's working. A well-intentioned pat can undo months of training. * Please don't grab the person or the dog's harness. Ask if they need assistance first. * When you provide guiding assistance, please walk on the person's opposite side to the Guide Dog. * Please make sure your pet dog is on the leash or under control around the Guide Dog. When approaching, it may be polite to let the person know that you a have dog. * If you see a loose dog, please contact the local Council. * According to government legislation, you must allow the Guide Dog to access all places used by the public.